Flow choke



' Feb. 20, 1934. H. w. FLETCHER FLOW QHOKE Filed April 24, :L931

Harold WZ Flete/zer IN VEN TOR am ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 20, 1934 FLOWHarold W. Fletcher, Houston, Tex., assignor to Hughes Tool Company,Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application April 24, 1931. SerialNo. 532,615

3 Claims.

My invention relates to flow choking devices for regulating the rate ofow of fluids under pressure. It has particular application to means forregulating fluids carrying a certain amount of abrasive material thereintending to wear thev regulating device.

My device is designed particularly for use on flowing wells producingoil, gas and the like. The fluid from such a well may be underconsiderable gas pressure which tends tocause the fluid to be dischargedfrom the well with violence which, if unchecked, will be wasteful of thegas, wearing on the well equipment and may lead to sanding up of theWell. It is desirable to preserve a uniform ratio of oil and gas and toconserve the production from the well. l

It is therefore, customary to control the flow by choking down the exitfrom the well into the flow line. Choke valves, flow beans, and the likeare placed in the line, with orifices therein of the proper size toallow the passage of the desired amount of fluid. Because of the sandand other abrasive materials in the fluid, and the high velocity of thefluid, the choke means wears rapidly and must be replaced at frequentlintervals.

It is an object of my invention to provide a flow bean which will checkthe flow of the fluid and which may be regulated to allow the passage ofvarious amounts as desired.

I also desire to provide a construction of flow device which will notwear rapidly and which, when worn, may be quickly replaced.

I'desire to pass the fluid through a plurality of small passages where Imay keep the velocity of flow near or below the critical valve for thesize of the passages and thereby reduce or eliminate cutting.

In the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 isa vertical section through a portionof a flow line having my invention employed thereon.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through a :dow check deviceremoved from the line and disclosing a somewhat different embodiment ofthe invention.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the preforated discs employed in theFig. 2 embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a pipe 1 which may be understood as being part ofa iiow line for fluid under pressurev andcarrying abrasive materialtherein. In this flow line is connected a special fitting A in which isplaced my ow retarding device B.

The fitting A is a cross or four way fitting, the opening opposite theflow pipe 1 being shown as CHOKE closed by a bull plug 2.l The loweropening 3 is of larger diameter and is closed by the bull plug 4.Opposite the opening 3, the branch 5 is elon gated to provide a housingfor the member B.

The housing has a threaded recess '7 to receive 00 the flow bean and,beyond this recess the branch is reduced in diameter and threaded at 6to connect with the flow line from the well.

The flow choke B includes a tubular housing 8 threaded at 7 to 'engagewith the fitting. This 65 end on its inner periphery, is taperedinwardly to provide a shoulder at 9 forming a stop shoulder for acylindrical porous member 10 through which the fluid must pass. Saidmember may be of any desired porous material adapted to resist wear suchas carborundum or the like. Said material i's'held in position in thehousing by a ring nut 11.

The lower extremity of the housing 8 has a bayonet slot therein toreceive a setting tool'by 75 which it may be inserted through theopening 3 and screwed within the slot 7.

It is to be understood that this unit B may be of the desired length tolimit the flow in the desired amount. The amount of porosity or size ofthe interstices in the body of the material and the length thereof may,of course, be varied.

In Fig. '2, I depend for a choke device, upon discs 12 tting closelywithin the body 8, and spaced apart by rings or washers 14. Each dischas reduced openings or ducts 13 therein through which the fluid mustpass. These ducts are staggered in 'one disc relative to the ducts inthe disc next adjacent and tit is to be noted that the fluid passingthrough each disc is received within a narrow space or chamber 15, whereits progress is slowed down before it enters the ducts of the next disc.In this way, the speed of iiow can be regulated with accuracy so thatthe proper rate of flow will be obtained. The bull plug 4 may 95 serveto catch sand strained from the iluid by the choke.

By forcing the uid to pass through small ducts, pores or interstices inthe choking units which `I employ, the velocity of ow is greatly 100reduced and the cutting action of the fluid is so lowered so that myflow beans will last materially 4 longer than those now -most commonlyused.

What Il claim as new is:

1. A tting for flow lines having a plurality of 105 branches, a iiowline connected with one of said branches, a threaded seat in the outerend of another of said branches, a'holder secured in said seat, andporous material in said holder to limit the rate of flow of fluidtherethrough and means 11 other of said branches, a holder secured insaid.

seat, and positioned within said tting porous material in said holder tolimit the rate of ow of uid therethroughand means in another of saidbranches acting to batch sand settled out from said uid. A

3. A cross shaped tting for iiow lines having four ports including aninlet port, a closure for the port opposite said inlet port, an upperbranch on said, fitting having an interior threaded seat, aholder'screwed within'said seat, a core of porous material in saidholder to retard the flow of uid therethrough, and a bull plug closingthe lower branch of said fitting adapted to receive sand settling fromthe said fluid.

HAROLD' W. FLETCHER.

